Stefano Bellotti of Cascina degli Ulivi was one of Italy’s most influential natural winegrowers, a pioneer who championed biodynamics and rejected industrial winemaking long before it was fashionable. From the early 1980s onward, his holistic vision of farming and resistance to the commodification of agriculture inspired a generation of younger vintners. His estate in Gavi, inherited from his family but essentially rebuilt from scratch, became a living model of biodynamism: 24 hectares of vines surrounded by fruit trees, cereals, livestock, vegetables, and an agriturismo—all coexisting in a balanced ecosystem. Working without chemicals, Bellotti farmed by intuition and Steiner’s philosophy, hand-harvested his grapes, relied on native yeasts, and refused filtration or added sulfur after 2003. The result was wines of striking vitality and a true sense of place. Bellotti’s refusal to compromise often put him at odds with the Gavi DOCG. Iconic bottlings such as Filagnotti and Ivag were declassified after regulators rejected his mixed plantings or his wines’ natural color. Rather than conform, Bellotti embraced independence, confident that his wines would be valued on their own merit. Until his death in 2018, Bellotti embodied the role of the visionary outsider—creating a farm where man, vine, animal, and soil worked in harmony. Today his daughter Ilaria continues the work, ensuring that the energy, spirit, and example of Cascina degli Ulivi remain a beacon for those who believe wine should be inseparable from life itself.
Italy · placeholder